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While hip-hop meccas like New York and California have produced their own unique sound and pedigree, Dallas has long lived in the shadow of its older brother Houston. A few years back, North Texas made a strong push to pave its own lane on the strength of artists like Dirty South Riders and Tum Tum, and the Boogie dance craze earned national attention for its gimmicky, gyration-inducing production.Along with A.Dd+ and a handful of locals, The Mohicans are part of the new tribe of North Texas hip-hop. Largely operating from their satellite office in Lubbock, Texas Tech students Devin Calvin (Kashus Klay) and Dave Morgan (he just goes by Dave) just released their debut full-length, Uncas, and surprised many at this year's Dallas Observer Music Awards when they snatched the award for Best Rap/Hip-Hop Act.
"I was very surprised, actually," Morgan says, adding that the win changes nothing. "When I [record], I try to do the best that I can do. If anything needs to be proven to anybody, it's to myself."
With the release of Uncas, it's clear the win was not a fluke. The first thing you'll notice is the influence of Atlanta duo OutKast: They channel Dirty South rap in a way that incorporates funk and soul, so the comparisons are natural. But they stop short of imitation. What you hear on Uncas are two Texas boys thoroughly informed by their environment, from the production to the way Calvin and Morgan flip complex rhymes.
If you haven't heard of The Mohicans yet, that's probably because they are as fresh to the local hip-hop scene as you can get. "Summer 2010, I went to Sore Losers' going-away show when they were moving to Cali," Morgan remembers. "That was the first Dallas hip-hop show I went to. I saw them and A.Dd+ and knew I wanted to be part of that scene."
It's appropriate to close the year with this album, which includes perhaps the local song of the year, "Fa Shiggadow," and serves as a great bookend to 2011 along with A.Dd+'s When Pigs Fly. They send a message to the masses: North Texas hip-hop is finally growing up and developing its own musical personality that can stand up on a national scale."It's a whole different sound, really," Morgan says of the new wave of local hip-hop torchbearers. "People are starting to catch on." - Dallas Observer
Discography
"Uncas" Mixtape, 2011
1.Intro
2.Start The Show
3.Chilling
4.Does Not Compute
5.Head Lights
6.Bye-Gone 2.0
7.Smoke Sum
8.Identity Crisis
9.Cut My Tires
10.Queen
11.Fa Shiggadow
12.Thats 70s
13.Outro
Photos
Bio
Meet Dallas based rap group, The Mohicans. 3rd Coasts' newest dynamic duo pioneering the change in sound of Southern Hip Hop music in Dallas, with their unique way of infusing clever wordplay with dope hooks, on the perfect backdrop that remains true to their Dirty South roots. The group consisting of bandmates Devan Calvin AKA Kashus Klay, and David Morgan, these two Texas cats consider themselves "the last of a dying breed", as well as some of the last few artists concerned with making quality music for their generation. The Mohicans joined forces in 2010, after bandmates Devan and Dave met while both attending college at Texas Tech University, at a Spoken word /Freestyle competition that was being held on campus. On meeting, the two realized they had similar visions on music, yet two totally differing styles. Kashus a DJ and beatmaker already, adding the title of lyricist , and Dave who wrote poetry and did spoken word. The result was a commingling of creative ideas and a partnership between the two artists which gave birth to their musical debut Mixtape, Uncas. The group's first project was produced in entirety by Kashus Klay. Since dropping their musical debut as a duo, The Mohicans' music has quickly gained them notoriety and a growing fan base in Dallas, as well as through out Texas, and other regions of the world. The Mohicans have been making their mark on the music game, opening up for acts such as as Cyhi Da Prince, Curren$y, Devin the Dude, The Cool Kids, and most recently Ab-Soul and Jay Rock. In 2011The Mohicans competed in the Texas region of College Battle of the Bands and won. Upon winning, the group traveled to Los Angeles, Ca to perform in front of a packed house at the final competition. In their short time on the scene, David and Kashus have managed to make a big impression on the Dallas community, and in 2011 Dallas Observer awarded The Mohicans with the coveted Best Rap/ Hip Hop act in Dallas award. The duo’s debut effort has been described as a “breath of fresh air” to an industry that seems to be lacking in originality and style. The Mohicans are currently working on their second project and plan to bring back the feeling that fans once loved about hip hop, and The Mohicans' music.
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